Washing machine



Oct. 20, 1959 B. A. BUSS WASHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 31, 1955 M ORNEYS E WW3??? Oct. 20, 1959 B. A. BUSS WASHING MACHINE h: uin mmf mmsSs 1- 4m m G 2 EwQkW WA vm 5 a mm B R P Y .M hie: m W m 5 MEI Zbd N V k R h. E A o h Myth W M nmfi ZDQ H I m 45.55 M A MEI Q58 *M m J 4 M #495 6 M Y URSQDS krPd B R. B T RN M Filed Oct. 31. 1955 Oct. 20, 1959 uss 2,909,052

WASHING MACHINE Filed 001;. 31, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 CLOSE DUMP 50L.

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ORNEYS Oct. 20, 1959 B. A. BUSS WASHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 31, 1955 INVENTQR BIN/MM! 1901/ Rm BY W a M W |;%RNE

United Statcs Patent Ofiice 2,909,052 Patented Oct. 20, 1959 WASHING MACHINE Benjamin Alvin Buss, East Moline, can Machine and Metals, Inc., corporation of Delaware Ill., assignor to Ameri- East Moline, Ill., 3

This invention relates to commercial type washing or laundry machines and particularly to a machine having an improved arrangement for introducing fluid into the machine.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement for introducing fluid into the washer.

A commercial washing machine of the type concerned usually has a shell with a rotating drum therein, the drum having trunnions at each end supported in the shell or its frame. The drum may have longitudinally extending partitions and transverse partitions, said partitions dividing the drum into four or more compartments. In one form, liquid can be introduced by conduits passing through the trunnions, said conduits or pipes extending into the drum, the end of each conduit passing through the transverse partition. The conduits may have a nozzle or orifice for directing fluid into the drum compartments adjacent the points where they enter the drum and also into the next compartments where the conduits pass through the transverse partition. Thus, when liquid is introduced, each of the conduits will spray water in one direction into a compartment and also in the same direction in the next compartment, the sprays from the two conduits in a compartment being opposed.

The alkali, soap, bleach and other supplies for the various parts of operation can be fed by means of a constant speed pump which is connected to the various supply sources through suitably opened valves, the valves being opened, for example, by solenoid means.

These and other objects and advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly broken away of one form of machine with which the invention can be used.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view taken in the direction of the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 2a is a fragmentary view taken generally along the line 2a2a of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2b is a fragmentary enlarged view in the direction of the line 2b2b of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the machine showing the various supply tanks, pump and valves.

Fig. 4 is a view looking from the left of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is the left hand portion of a wiring diagram.

Fig. 5a is the right hand portion of the wiring diagram of Fig. 5.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are diagrams of one manner of operating the machine cycle.

The invention will be described in conjunction with a clothes washing machine for clothes or the like of the type particularly suitable for use in commercial laundries and especially for heavily soiled wash, such as in linen supply services. As can be seen in Fig. l, shell 10 may have a rotatable washer drum 11 therein, access to the drum being provided by access doors (not shown), said doors being mounted on the arcuate surface of the shell. The washer drum is rotatable by a conventional drive mechanism (not shown), said drum being supported by trunnions 12 rotatable in bearings carried by the shell or frame of the machine. The rotatable drum 11 may have longitudinally extending partition means 13 and a transverse partition means 14, said partitions dividing the drum into four chambers in the usual manner.

The liquid and supplies can be introduced into the machine through conduits or pipes 15A and 15B, said pipes having a spray or outlet aperture 16A, 16B, adjacent the end walls 17A, 17B of the drum. The conduits 15A, 158 also extend inwardly and through transverse partition 14 and each has a spray nozzle 18A, 18B respectively for spraying liquid in the same direction as nozzles 16A, 16B but in the adjoining chamber of the drum. As can be seen in Fig. 1, the nozzles are arranged so that liquid will be introduced on both sides of longitudinal partition 13. Thus, each of the chambers will have sprays from either end thereof directed toward each other.

In order to introduce supplies into the drum and shell through the supply pipes 15A and 15B or directly, supply tanks, shown generally at 19, can be connectable through suitable solenoid-operated valves shown generally at 20A (Fig. 4) with the outlet 20 from the constant volume supply pump 21 in such a manner as to feed the particular supply involved into the liquid entering the shell or into the shell. A dump valve is connected to the lower part of the shell, an example of a suitable valve being seen in the patent to Davis No. 2,443,816, said valve being closed by the automatic control means at appropriate times in order to permit liquid to collect in the shell, or opened in order to permit liquid to drain therefrom. Water pump 203 may be used where necessary. Overflow pipe 10A can be attached to the shell to serve as a weir means through which liquid can flow when it reaches a predetermined level.

When it is desired to operate the machine semiautomatically, transfer switch 22 (Fig. 5a), shown in automatic position in full lines in Fig. 5a can be moved so as to connect the semiautomatic control 23 (Fig. 5) into the circuit, the semi-automatic control depending upon a time-volume relation for measuring. When the trans-' fer switch is on semi-automatic, the time of running of the machine can be set by knob 24 so that timer motor 25 will operate cams 26, 27 and their respective switches to close the dump valve 28 (Fig. 5a), and furnish water to the washer until the desired water level is reached, such circuits being apparent from the wiring diagrams of Figs. 5 and 5a. The level of water to be provided can be determined by timer motor 29, cam 30 and its associated switch, water being furnished at a constant volume for a predetermined time. Timer motors 25 'and 29 are provided with conventional slip clutches between the motor and cam shafts so that knob 24 and knob 31 can be turned to provide the desired run time for operation of the machine and the time the water is admitted to the washer.

Solenoids 33 and 34 control the cold water and hot water supply respectively, such being operable so as to proportion the water called for by water thermostat 35. Prior to operation, the machine doors must be closed so that door switch 32 is in the normal position.

A preferred method of operating the machine is depicted in Figs. 6, 7, 8 wherein the overall cycle, program or formula is divided into three parts, namely, the alkali cycle (Fig. 6), the soap cycle (Fig. 7) and the bleach and rinse or final operations cycle (Fig. 8).

As mentioned hereafter, there may be some variation in arrangement of portions of the cycles. Each of these three cycles is controlled by the operation of a timer motor. Each of the three timer motors controls cams and associated switches as seen in Figs. 5 and 5a, each of the shafts being illustrated in the stop position. The timer motors may be of the conventional type having slip clutches connecting the motor with an operating shaft. A control knob and indicator may be mounted on the shaft. In this manner, the knob and shafts may be turned to any desired point of each cycle so that each of the cycles may be started at a selected point in the cycle.

l n the alkali cycle, for example, the dump valve circuits are activated so that it is opened during the first portion of the rinse, this effecting a spray rinse. As the shaft 40 turns, the dump valve then is closed upon actuation of switches operated by earns 44 and 45 and suitable circuits are actviated thereby so as to introduce the alkali supplies, the clothes being moved through the water collected in the shell due to closing of the dump valve. After the desired water level is reached in the washer, the water feed pump is stopped. As the cycle proceeds, the dump valve thereafter is opened and the machine is flushed for a short period, as can be seen in Fig. 6. The dump valve then is closed and alkali again supplied thereto following which there is a second alkali wash. The dump valve then is opened during the final flushing until the timer motor controlling the alkali cycle is stopped. The alkali cycle also can be used without the spray rinse.

Upon completion of the alkali cycle, the soap cycle timer is energized by cam 46, such being at a point where it has been set to start, either for the full cycle of Fig. 7 or a portion thereof. If it is operated during its entire time, the dump valve then first will be closed and soap introduced. The dump valve is then opened to drain the shell and again closed as soap is introduced into the machine in successive suds operations. A total of three suds operations can be performed. In each instance, the soap enters the machine with the water until it is cut off by the suds control relay 36. A sample of such a suds level control is illustrated in copending application Serial No. 301,240 filed July 28, 1952, now Patent No. 2,750,778. Upon completion of the soap cycle, the third timer is energized by cam 49 from the point to which it has been previously set so as to carry out the bleach, hot rinse, cold rinse, blue and sour operations, these constituting the final operations of the program.

By splitting the cycle into three parts as described, great flexibility is obtained in determining the washing formula to be used. For example, if only one suds operation is required, the soap cycle timer can be turned so that only the last suds operation will be employed and similarly with other operations of the cycle. It is to be understood that there'can be changes made in arrangement of portions of the control program.

In carrying out the cycle just described, timer motors 37, 38 and 39 can be employed to drive their respective shafts 40, 41, 42, said shafts having cams located thereon to control their respective switches, said switches, in turn, operating the various solenoids for controlling introduction of supplies into the water fed to the machine through thetrunnions. Each of the shafts may have an operating knob and indicator thereon so as to turn the shaft and earns to the desired starting position and to indicate the condition of the timer. Timer motor 37 drives the alkali flush cam 43, alkali dump cam 44, alkali supply cam 45 and the timer motor cam 46, the latter serving to start the next timer at an appropriate point in the operation. The alkali dump cam energizes relay 62 which will move downwardly (Fig. and in turn will open the dump valve and shut off the water supply. It is to be noted that the cams illustrated in Fig. 5 have surfaces arranged for controlling the various solenoids in accordance with the cycle shown in Fig. 6.

Suds timer motor 38 operates soap dump valve cam 47, electrode flush cam 48 and soap timer cam 49. Electrode flush cam 48 is for the purpose of cleaning or flushing the electrodes of the suds level control, such a device being illustrated in aforementioned application Ser. No. 301,240. The soap timer cam stops timer motor 38 and starts the next timer motor 39. The soap dump valveeam 47 also deenergizesrelay 62 to permit it to return to the position shown in Fig. 5 to prepare it for the next operation. If desired, the suds knob and shaft 41 can be turned so that any selected operation of the soap cycle can be employed.

The bleach and rinse cycle timer motor 39 rotates the bleach supply cam 50, rinse flush cam 51, rinse dump cam 52, cold water supply cam 53, blue supply cam 54, sour supply cam 55 and stop cam 56. These various cams cooperate with their respective switches so as to operate their respective supply solenoids controlling feed of the particular supply to the machine, the solenoids having appropriate switching means associated therewith as seen in Fig. 5. As an example, the respective cams can control sour supply solenoid 57, blue supply solenoid 58, and the bleach supply solenoid 59. Alkali supply solenoid 60 is controlled by alkali supply cam 45. The soap supply solenoid 61 is activated when the soap timer motor 38 is activated. The suds relay 36 shuts off the soap at the proper time. During the dump and electrode flush portion of the cycle, the soap relay is inactivated due to operation of relay 62, following which 62 is deenergized and soap will enter the machine. The rinse flush cam completes a circuit around relay 62 to admit water to the machine with the dump valve open, the water level switch 64 also being rendered inoperative. At a time just before the blue operation starts, the roller must rise on its carn to permit the water level switch and dump valve to function normally during the blue and sour periods.

In the aforementioned arrangement, the alkali cycle, soap cycle, and the blue and rinse cycle have been separated, each being individually settable. If desired, it is possible to add the bleach to the end of the soap cycle. It can be seen that there is a spray rinse for desired intervals with the dump valve open, which is followed by a rinse in which the load is passed through water in the shell.

It is to be understood that variations can be made in the details of construction, switching circuits, and operation of the machine without departing from the spirit of the invention except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a washing machine having a shell, the combination including a rotatable horizontal drum in said shell, said drum having a longitudinally extending partition and a transverse partition intersecting the plane of said longitudinally extending partition so as to divide said drum into four chambers, trunnions rotatably holding said drum in said shell, conduit means extending inwardly from each of said trunnions for feeding liquid to said drum, each of said conduit means having a portion extending through said transverse partition with outlet means in each of said portions for spraying liquid intothe two chambers on the side of the transverse partition furthest from the trunnion through which it extends inthe same general direction as it flows through the conduit, and spray means on each conduit adjacent its point of entry into the shell for spraying liquid into the two chambers on the side of the transverse partition nearest the trunnion through which it extends in the same general direction as it flows through the conduit, so that the liquid is sprayed into each of the chambersfrorn each of its ends in opposite directions.

2. in a washing machine having a shell, the cbnrbina tion including a rotatable horizontal-drum in said shell, said drum having a transverse partition therein, trunnions rotatably holding said drum in said shell, conduit means extending inwardly from each of said trunnions for feed ing liquid to said drum, each of said conduit means hav-* ing a portion extending through said transverse'partition with an outlet in said portion for spraying liquid intothe part of the drum on the side of the transverse partition furthest from the trunnion through which itextends in the same general direction as it flows through the conduit, and spray means on each conduit adjacent its point of References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,309,543 Phillips July 8, 1919 6 Miller Nov. 18, 1941 Matthews Aug. 11, 1942 Miller Mar. 2, 1948 Hatfield May 22, 1951 Traube June 12, 1951 Miller Oct. 27, 1953 Buss June 19, 1956 

